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A Shared Mission to Create Future Leaders

The Emerging Leaders Program is a 34-month sequential degree program in which students first earn a Master of Science in Management (MSM) degree from the Wake Forest University School of Business (10 months) and then earn an MMS in Physician Assistant Studies within Wake Forest University School of Medicine PA Program (24 months).

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About Emerging Leaders Program

The Emerging Leaders Program seeks to develop highly capable, entrepreneurial leaders that can make significant contributions to the health care community, and advance the PA profession. The Wake Forest School of Business and School of Medicine share a history of curricular innovation, with a focus on problem-solving, hands-on learning and leadership development.

Graduates of the combined MSM and PA programs will be equipped with the business competencies to succeed in a complex health care environment and have the character and drive to transform the delivery of health care while promoting its responsible use.

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Scholarships and Preferred Admission

Candidates for the Emerging Leaders Program are eligible for preferred admission and are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships. Candidates must apply and be accepted to both the MSM and PA programs in advance of beginning the sequential degree. Interested candidates should complete the CASPA application and indicate their interest for Emerging Leaders Program on the supplemental portion of the application. Those who have expressed interest and have also met the admission criteria for the PA program will be considered for the Emerging Leaders Program.

Program Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the Emerging Leaders Program, you must hold or be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, sciences or engineering (non-business majors) from an accredited institution and must have limited post-graduate work experience (if already graduated) and a minimum of 1,000 hours of clinical work.

Gain a Competitive Edge

  • Develop core business skills that will differentiate you among professional PAs and allow you to better navigate the shifting heath care landscape
  • Work in collaborative teams and benefit from a faculty that provides individual attention
  • Hands-on learning allows you to apply and reinforce course concepts by developing business solutions for actual organizations
  • Review career goals, and sharpen interview and negotiation skills with individual career counselors
  • Speaker series and networking opportunities that connect you with innovators and industry thought-leaders
  • State-of-the-art classrooms in the $55 million Farrell Hall
Students taking a picture

Become a Future Leader for the PA Profession

  • Inquiry-based curriculum focused on small-group, self-directed learning through real patient medical problems
  • Cultivate professional behaviors and leadership skills through an educational environment that fosters critical thinking and encourages intellectual curiosity
  • Clinical and research training sites available to prepare trainees for various work settings and experiences by leveraging internal and external partnerships
  • State-of-the-art infrastructure to support our faculty and students with campuses in Winston-Salem and Boone, NC

Meet Your ELP Team

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John White

Executive Director, Enrollment Management Recruiting

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Sobia Hussaini

Adjunct Professor of the Practice

Explore Further

Considering a business program to strengthen your career prospects? Interested in the world-class research being done by our faculty? Or just want to speak with someone to learn more about the School of Business? Here are a few more areas to explore.